Finger Plays & Songs

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Fingerplays & Songs
A head-to-toe body song that gets faster every round.
The Nest Schools
This song helps children learn…
Body part names
Eight parts named and touched in order.
Balance and bending
Reaching all the way down and back up again.
Fast and slow
Feeling the tempo change round after round.
Following a sequence
Remembering what comes next without a cue.

Sing It

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

And eyes, and ears,
and mouth, and nose,

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

Touch as you sing
headshoulderskneestoes
eyesearsmouthnose
Head to toes, then face
Repeat the song, singing and moving faster each round.

Round by Round

slowlearn the order
a bit fasterstill all together
fastergiggles start here
fastestas quick as you can
one last timeslow and calm again
Try This
Sing one round in a whisper with big motions, then one round out loud with tiny motions.
Watch For
Children who touch the right part without watching you, who keep up as the tempo climbs, or who name a part in another language.
No materials needed · 3–5 minutes · Circle time, transitions, or wiggle breaks
The Nest Schools